Catalytic reactor



Sept. 2l, 1943. '.1. w. MccAusLAND .CATALYTIC REACTOR Filed May 9, 1941 WOM/o o o/o/o o o OIVO JOHWUUU o/o o wooo/c0000 OOGOO ooonfrooooooo Patented Sept. 21, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CATALYTIC REACTOR John woods Mecauslanu, Chicago, 1n., assignm- 4 to Universal Oil Products Company, Chicago,

lll., a corporation of Delaware Application May 9, 1.941, Serial No. 392.656

(Cl. ,Z3-288) illustrates two specic forms of the improved re- 9 Claims.

'This is a continuation-in-part of my co-pend'- ing application Serial No. 347,142, led on July 24, 1940, which has matured into Patent No. 2,252,719, Aug. 19, 194'1.

In the' above mentioned parent application I have disclosed an improved form of reactor comprising elongatedtubular elements disposed one within the other with an annular space therebetween for the reception of a bed of catalyst or contact material, the inner tube being pro- 1 vided with alongitudinal partition dividing the space therein into an elongated inlet passageway for iluid reactants to be converted and an, elongated outlet passageway for uidreaction products. Openings areprovided in the wall of the central tube Aat substantially diametrically opposite points therein along its length and on opposite sides of the partition, these openings. establishing communication between the inlet and outlet passageways and the annular space occupied bythe catalyst or contact material so that incoming reactants will -iiow from the inlet passageway on one side of the partition in the central tube into the annular space and through the contact material therein around substantially one-half theperiphery of the inner tube and into the outlet passageway on the opposite side of the partition.

The present invention provides other .forms of I reactors of the same general ltypeas disclosed in my aforementioned co-pending application which retain the important `advantages of the specic forms disclosed in the parent case, have certain advantages thereover. In common with the invention of the parent application, the improved` reactors herein disclosed have a wide range of applications to conversion processes which vare catalytically promoted or directed by the contact material, or in which the latter is a relatively inert substance acting to increase the intimacy of contact between the reactants, or wherein the contact material enters into the reaction.

In common with the specic forms of reactors' which I have previously disclosed, the improved forms herein provided are particularly advantageous as applied to processes, such as, for example, the catalytic dehydrogenation of 'hydrocarbons,wherein low operating pressures are desired and wherein the. operating pressure is rather critical and must be maintained, within relatively narrow limits, at a substantially constant value throughout the reaction zone, as explained in the aforementioned parent application.

The accompanying drawing diagrammatically actor provided bythe present invention.

Figure 1 of the drawing represents a longitudinal section through a tubular element incorporating the features of the invention.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional View of the tubular element shown in Figure l, this section beingtaken along line 2-2 in Figure 1. l y

Figure 3 is an end view of the tubular elements 0 yshown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of a modified Kform of tubular element embodying the features such elements may extend between and be se cured to tube sheets or the like in any convenient form of tubular heat exchanger, not illustrated, whereby a convective medium for supplying heat to or extracting heat from the reaction taking place in the tubes may be circulated about the outer walls thereof.

The inner wall 2 of the tubular element is formed by another tube of substantially circular and smaller cross-sectional area which is disposed concentrically within the larger tube and l extends to adjacent the opposite ends of the latter. The tube 2 is sulilciently smaller in diameter than the tube l4 that an annular space of thedesired cross-sectional area is provided therebee tween for the reception of a bedv of solid granular catalyst or contact material indicated at 3.

The space enclosed by the inner wall or tube -2 is divided by a longitudinal partition plate 4 into an inlet zone 5 and an outlet zone 6 disposed ponl opposite sides of the partition. In the particular construction illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3, the balile- 4 is angularly disposed within tube 2in such a manner that the inlet zone 5 is of decreasing cross-sectional area from top to -bottom and the outlet zone B is of increasing cross-sectional area from top to bottom. Adjacent and on opposite-sides of partition 4, openings 1 are provided through the wall 2, these openings being disposed, in' the case 'here illus-y trated, at vspaced points along the length of wall 2 and the openings on opposite sides of the partition 4 being in substantially parallel alignment with the latter. y

The annular space occupied by the bed of cata'- lyst or contact material and the top of outlet zone 6 are closed by member 8 which, in this i instance, is a substantially disc-shaped plate or the like welded or otherwise secured to the inner tube 2 and partitionv 4 at their ends. A similar closure member 8' for the annular space occupied by the catalyst or contact materia1 and the inlet zone is provided at the lower endl of the inner tube 2 and, in this particular instance, also serves as a means of supporting' the assembly comprising the inner tube -and the partition, as well as the contact material disposed in the annular space, from the outer wall I. Suitable supporting lugs 9 or the like are provided on the outer wall l and plate 8' rests upon these lugs.

In the construction here illustrated (see Figures 2 and 3), an extension or continuation I0l of partition 4 projects into and substantially across the annular space occupied by the catalyst or contact material to provide a deector or baille for iluid passing through the annular space from the inlet zone 5 to the outlet zone 6.- 'Ihe geneial path of ilow of the fluid to be contacted with the catalyst or contact material is illustrated by the arrows in Figures 1 and 2 and it will be noted that the iiuid emerging from zone 5 through openings I on the right-hand side of partition 4 and deilecting member I0, flows clockwise through the annular space and enters outlet zone 6 through the openings 'I on the opposite side of the partition 4 and deilectingmember i0. The liquid to be contacted with the solid granular material enters zone 5 from its upper end and is discharged from the lower end of zone 6. Thus, a relatively short path of travel is provided for the iluid in: contact with the bed 3 of solid granular catalyst or contact material, giving a relatively low pressure drop through the reactor tube, but

uniform and intimate contact Vbetween the fluid reactants and the solid granular material.

It will, of course,- be understood that thegeneral direction of iiow of fluid through the reactor ments 5' and 6', respectively, of the reactor tube shown in Figure 4 are disposed adjacent and on opposite sides of members 4' and I0 and are designated by the reference numeral 1.

I claim as my invention:

1. An apparatus for obtaining Contact between a stream of uid and a mass of solid granular material comprising, 'in combination, a pair of elongated tubular elements disposed one within theother with an annular space adapted to re ceive said mass tl'lerebetween, a partition extending across and lengthwise of the inner tube and projecting from its outer surface to adjacent the inner surface of the outer tube, the space within the inner tube on one side of said partition being closed atone end and open at theopposite end, the space `on theopposite side of said partition being open at said opposite end and closed at its other end and each of said spaces being in said tubes are disposed in'a substantially vertical communication with said annular space through openings provided through the wall of said inner and adjacent the pan` tubeon opposite sides of tition.

2. The apparatus dened in claim l wherein said partition is disposed in angular relation to position and the inner tube is supported adjacent its lower end from the walls of the outer tube.

tube may be. upward instead of downward, in

which case zone 6 is the inlet zone and zone 5'is the outlet zone. The direction of flow through the annular space in which the contact material is disposed may be either clockwise or counterclockwise, depending upon the position of partition 4 and upon the position of the inlet and outlet ends of the tube. 'I'he tubes may be made aslarge or as small a's desired and, depending upon the'relative size of the inner and outer tubes, the annular space therebetween may be designed to give the desired time of contact between the .'uid reactants and the solid granular material.

The modied form of reactor tube illustrated in Figure 4 .is substantially the same Vas that shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, except for the position of the partition which divides the inner tube and the Aannular space betweenthe tubes. 'In

.Figure 4, the outer tube is designated by the reference number I' and the inner tube by the refervertical center line vof the assembly, is designated by the reference number 4' andthe extension of .4. The apparatus deiined in claim 1 wherein saidtubes are disposed ina substantially vertical position and the inner tube is supported adjacent its lower end from the walls of the outer tube an is removable therefrom.

'5. The apparatus deiined in claim 1 wherein said partition is substantially parallel throughout its length to the longitudinal center line of the inner tube.

6. The apparatus dened in claim 1 wherein said. spaces within the inner tube on opposite sides of the -partition are each of substantially the same'cubic volume.

-7. The apparatus deiined in claim 1 wherein said spaces withinthe inner tube on opposite sides of the partition are of substantially equal cubic volume and are each of substantially unii form cross-sectional area l throughout their length.

8. The apparatus deiined in claim 1 wherein JOHN woons MCCAUSLAND. 

